Dennis Gardner
Embedded Files
Photo courtesy: Albert W. Durant Collection, Visual Resources, John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library,
The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, "Bruton Heights School Choir"
Mr. Dennis Gardner (b. 1934) was born and raised in Williamsburg, Virginia. He was elected to the York County Board of Supervisors in 1991 and was the first Black person to serve in this capacity since Reconstruction. Mr. Gardner's long career has included positions with People's Building and Loan in Hampton, Crown Savings Bank in Newport News, and Williamsburg Restoration, Inc. In 1972, he joined the staff of Anheuser-Busch as area coordinator for North Carolina and parts of Virginia and later became supervisor of inventory management for the Williamsburg facility.
Mr. Gardner has been a leader in the community. He was the founder and first president of the Williamsburg Men's Club and the A&T State University Alumni Association chapter in Williamsburg. He has served on the board of directors for the Williamsburg Area Recreation Association, as president of the Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity-Williamsburg chapter, and as member of the Williamsburg Advisory Board for Adult Education, the York County Advisory Board for Vocational Education and the York County Planning Commission. Mr. Gardner is also dedicated to his church, the First Baptist Church in Williamsburg, where he has served as trustee and business manager.
In this oral history, Mr. Dennis Gardner recounts his life growing up in Williamsburg, his educational background, and career. He reflects on a wide range of topics, including the integration of the Williamsburg-James City County Schools.
Oral History with Mr. Dennis Gardner | Conducted by Ryan Clark | August 8, 2007 | Williamsburg Documentary Project Collection | Special Collections Research Center | William & Mary Libraries
Mr. Dennis Gardner provided the reflections below as part of the Oral History Community Nights hosted by Colonial Williamsburg during the late 1980s and early 1990s. The clips are excerpts from The Freedom Years, one of several films produced from these oral history nights. The full film can be viewed here.
Mr. Gardner discusses not having the needed resources and course offerings in school under segregation.
Mr. Gardner describes the white community's response to school integration.
Mr. Gardner reflects on the racial tensions and fighting between Black and white students following integration.
Mr. Gardner considers the benefits of integration for all students, but also the discrimination faced by Black students in school.
Mr. Gardner discusses the need to change minds to address problems in the schools today.
Mr. Gardner discusses how Black teachers supported and encouraged the Black children under segregation and how that support is missing for Black students in the schools today.
Mr. Gardner explains that the local job market had few professional opportunities for Black people and describes segregated Williamsburg.
Mr. Gardner recounts getting fired from his position at Colonial Williamsburg for giving waiters advice on how to advocate for fair wages. He explains that incidents like this created fear in the community that they couldn't speak out.
Mr. Gardner discusses how Colonial Williamsburg did not promote Black employees into administrative positions within their corporate structure.
Mr. Gardner explains that Black people left Williamsburg given the lack of opportunities.
Mr. Gardner recounts experiencing prejudice when recruiting for Headstart with a white woman in Croaker.
Mr. Gardner recalls Rev. Collins' diplomatic leadership style.
Mr. Gardner remembers Black leaders in Williamsburg and the need for leaders that represent the whole community.
Mr. Gardner recalls when the residents of Magruder moved to Grove after the Navy took their land for Camp Peary, as well as the tension between the Black communities in Grove and Williamsburg.
Interview with Mr. Dennis Gardner | Conducted by Dr. Amy Quark | March 20th, 2023 | The Village Initiative Collection
In the Spring of 2023, Dennis Gardner and his sister, Christine Gardner Jordan, generously offered their memories of life on Nicholson Street, in the northeast corner of the city of Williamsburg, before their family’s displacement in the 1950s. They recount memories of the four generations of their family that lived on this street, dating back to before the Civil War. They recall the rich community life and reflect on the legacies of its loss.
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